After turning down a 10 pence charge on single-use plastic bags in 2006, the Scottish Parliament’s environmental committee may soon reconsider the issue after voluntary attempts to reduce single-use bags proved unsuccessful.

Richard Lochhead, Scotland’s environmental secretary, explained in a Waste and Recycling news article: "Plastic bags are a scourge on the environment and a blight on our streets, our countryside and our seas--that’s why we are so determined to drastically cut back on their use." Lochhead is starting a study on a possible bag ban in Scotland, while the European Union continues to consider bag ban options as well.